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Concord -> RE: Picked up again...but... (2/3/2010 8:46:20 AM)
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I like the tactics in this game - and talking about it. [:)] Like any game, it has its quirks that you need to get used to.
Mortars need to be used with finese. I've emptied two full loads of ammo on a MG post in desperation, and only taken out one guy. I now use mortars as a bit of a tactical edge. Don't expect miracles from them. They ARE uncannily good against enemy guns and open topped vehicles, and I will spare no ammo with these targets. They are also good at taking out infantry on the move in the open. Time and time again I have taken out half a team with just a couple of well timed shells, and then go Defend to conserve ammo. Likewise, smoke is good to use to shield your troops, but it's not totally fail-safe either.
In regards to weapons crews: part of my decision to include a gun or mortar team is that I know they can be used in a dual role...firing their main weapon, and their small arms to help hold the line. Even if the main gun runs out of ammo, they can still fire their rifles - and the crew teams are often quite large! I have also found the crew teams to be nice and accurate - especially the gun crews. I think this is because historically, highly motivated experienced guys were used in these roles rather than just anyone. I've had mortar and gun crews hold the line quite well when under pressure. Sometimes firing their main gun, sometimes firing small arms...sometimes both at the same time from memory!
Keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference in this game between units which are stationary and moving. If you're not moving, you've got some cover, your guys are ready to fire, and most of the time haven't been fully spotted. Your gun flashes may be seen, but the enemy hasn't pin-pointed your exact position yet, so their guys have nothing to directly fire at. If you are moving, you can be seen very easily, and enemy will automatically target your guys directly. This aspect (and the fact that fire is so leathal to your little digital troops!) is exactly why it is so much harder to be the attacker in this game.
When I play the German side in my LAN campaign, I take a little longer during set up, and then just sit back and watch the story unfold. I might change a covered arc here, adjust a barrage there, and then sit back again. If I place my units well, most of the hard work has been done. Only ONE thing gets my knickers-in-a-knot: TANKS. Both my friend and I use "recon by fire" to pound likely defensive spots, and directly target gun flashes. Absolutely NOTHING shuts up an MG post like a dozen HE shells.
I have an American para unit that has made it to St. Come Du Mont up north and are facing German paras. For two battles, they fought onto the map, paying dearly for every scrap of land...and not doing much damage in return. Then, some Stuarts appeared on day 2 (they appear in the OOB to represent advance units arriving in support). Just two of them, but they made all the difference. I never directly spotted any of those well camouflaged Germans, but I hosed in the high explosive rounds every time I saw gun flashes. First one guy went down, then another, then another (I'd shift my aim slightly to probe their position). What WAS a dangerous team threatening your advancing forces becomes a single shaken guy crawling out of the hail of MG bullets and explosions. I made twice as much headway in that one battle than the other two combined. I also flipped the casualty results - Allied paras were low, German paras heavy.
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